So as we are about to head into 2019 alot of us (especially on social media) are taking a look back to what this year has given us and I thought seen as I only started this blog in October this would be a great way for you to get to know me abit (all of my 5 followers 😂).

 

The first brilliant thing to happen to this year was esmes first birthday, we spent it with family having a lovely outside buffet done by my mum. We kept it very small just some close family and friends which made it very special, we brought a lovely last minute cake from Tesco and let esme shoved a piece of it straight in her face 😂

After esmes birthday I got to go see demi lovato live in Birmingham with my best friend Laura which was an amazing experience that I’m so grateful I got to experience especially with someone I’m so close to.

Next thing has got to be the highlight of my year and something that we have been planning for over three years and that is……. We got married! 👰🎉😍 It all went really smoothly (shockingly) and everyone had a lovely time, esme partied the most! We really couldn’t of done it without family it would of been a disaster as my mum chose literally everything because I’m crap at organising anything! 😂

Also the one thing I did choose was Minnie and mickey wedding cake toppers 😂

This year was a year of many firsts, from Esmes first birthday, shoes and words to starting this blog and creating a YouTube channel which I will leave a link to below 👇👇I would love it if you would go check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0xueAT0nPJA_ZYIhsLzNFA

This year has been full of fun experiences and I have met some lovely people and connected with some good friends through social media.

Here’s to hoping that 2019 has some good things in store for all of us!

This year as Esme is nearly a year and a half we decided to take the plunge and book in to see santa’s grotto at our local garden centre costing us £8.50 ! Thank the heavens that a present was included in the price !

Last year the only time esme met santa was at our local family centre that she goes to every week and he wasnt fully dressed as santa it was a member of staff with a santa jacket , hat and a beard but she LOVED it !

This first grotto experience was a whole other story………

It started off great we arrived early she had time to run around the garden centre and look at all the christmas decorations , she took a very big liking to a light up reindeer figure , we had time for cake everything was nice and calm and chill until…..

we walked in the grotto sat her next to santa and she burst into tears you would of thought santa had give her the vaccinations she normally gets at the doctors the way she was crying and screaming at him , she wouldnt even take a present off him when I was holding her , in the end we walked off with the present, not a nice santa experience and no nice photo just a poor little traumatised girl who then proceeded to love watching anna and else sing disney songs in the middle of the garden centre and did enjoy her teddy from santa but being honest I dont think she fully recovered from what I can only imagine was the most traumatising morning of her life until about mid afternoon after a nap with nanny .

I think its safe to say we wont be taking her to see santa till next year and hopefully I can get that nice christmas photo that we all want at christmas time .

Every year parents stress so much over all the festive events happening over christmas , from seeing santa to christmas shopping ,christmas parties and turning on of the christmas lights .

All of this is soo much to do in one month especially when leaving the house takes twice as long now that you have kids and have to make sure everyone has their coats , hats (that they refuse to keep on ) and scarfs etc.

Something I think that alot of people need hear right not is that its ok not to go to every single christmas event / party just prioritise what makes you happy as a family ! The other day we missed our town turning on of the christmas lights because :

1) the weather was horrid it would of made is all cold wet and miserable

2) Esme had spent all day at her nans she was knackered and would of fallen asleep the second we put her in the car to go see the lights

3) we much prefered going home and watching a christmas film with hot chocolates and mince pies.

Missing out the christmas tree light turning on was one of the best decisions i made this year it helped us avoid a grumpy night , we had a lovely chilled time watching christmas films and instead of taking Esme to see the santa that would of been at the tiny market that our town have that would of been cold she wouldnt of been bothered becuase she is tired , i have booked her to go to a lovely santas grotto on my birthday in the afternoon where it will be warmer we will be more prepared and she will most likely enjoy it more .

Too us getting into the christmas spirit means spending time at home with family , christmas films and christmas treats not rushing around trying to do everything !

So this year i will be choosing our outings more thoughfully and not trying to fit in everything !

it’s our second day and first time doing elf on the shelf and I already had to go downstairs before esme this morning because I forgot to do it!

when we first brought an elf we were really curious if esme would actually be bothered with it as she is only one and a half years old so this is how it’s gone so far….

on the first day elf turned up with a book and esme was not bothered in the slightest, but on the second day she ran straight for the elf where he was sat having a bath in her teapot with another little pressie and she loved it! she giggled and dragged him straight out of the teapot and then sat playing with her present.

so far elf on the shelf has been a success!

yesterday we put our Christmas tree up and it was a really nice day.